By SCOTT HAMILTON
Senior WriterCharles Howell III has added Lexus to his endorsement portfolio as he prepares to defend a PGA Tour title for the first time in five years.
The 28-year-old signed a three-year deal with the automaker, according to Ed Kiernan, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Peter Jacobsen Sports, which represented Lexus in the negotiations. Financial terms of the deal were not available.
Howell will display a Lexus logo on his apparel and make appearances at Lexus events. The partnership officially begins Feb. 11 at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., where Howell is the defending champion.
Howell’s deal with Lexus comes after a year in which he earned his second career PGA Tour victory (and first since 2002) by defeating Phil Mickelson in a three-hole playoff. He finished 18th on the 2007 money list with $2,832,091 while making his second appearance on the U.S. Presidents Cup team.
It’s also the second significant deal for Howell in just more than three months. He opted out of his equipment deal with Callaway in early December, ending a seven-year run in order to sign with Bridgestone Golf. His other sponsorship deals are with Rolex, The Hartford and Marquis Jet.
The addition of Howell gives Lexus additional exposure on the PGA Tour and further expands the company’s investment in golf. Howell joins Nick Watney as full-time PGA Tour players sponsored by Lexus, while the company also has relationships with Champions Tour players Peter Jacobsen, Mark O’Meara, Raymond Floyd and Chi Chi Rodriguez. Annika Sorenstam is the lone LPGA player under contract with Lexus. The company entered into a multi-year pact early last year to serve as the U.S. Golf Association’s first automotive partner.
• • •
Scott Hamilton is a
Golfweek senior writer. To reach him e-mail
shamilton@golfweek.com.
Posted: 2/11/2008
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